If you’re in central Zagreb and hear a loud boom echoing through the city, check your watch, and if it’s midday you have nothing to worry about – it’s only the Grič Cannon. Located in Zagreb’s historic Upper Town, a few steps from the upper funicular station, stands the distinctively white Lotrščak Tower. Peaking out of a window to the south, on its fourth floor, is the cannon which has been fired regularly at noon for nearly 150 years.
Built in the 13th century, the Lotrščak Tower defended an entrance to the Upper Town, back then an independent walled city which would later merge to create Zagreb. Local legend claims that a cannon was placed in the tower and struck a decisive blow when Zagreb was put to siege by the Ottomans in the early 16th century. The story goes that it was accidentally fired and a cannonball sailed across the Sava river, right into the enemy camp where it killed a chicken being prepared for the pasha's dinner. The superstitious leader interpreted the event as an ill omen and decided to retreat, thus saving the city.
Although the story is probably just a tall tale, the cannon still has a long history of service to the city. Since January 1 1877, the cannon has been fired as a signal to the monks who rang church bells throughout Zagreb, indicating midday exactly. Thankfully for nearby residents, the cannon is never loaded and just creates a lot of noise and a puff of white smoke. Only during World War I and in the aftermath of the recent earthquake in March 2020, has the cannon fallen silent to respect the locals.
Perhaps today with digital clocks in everyone’s pockets, the cannon has outlived its practical purpose and has transitioned into mere tradition – but you still know it's time for lunch once you hear the boom at noon.